In the foodservice industry, it is often required to extrude a length of food mixture, usually in the form of an uncooked product, so as to give a decorative effect. One example of such an extruder or press is an icing bag from which icing is extruded through a shaped nozzle by applying pressure to the bag. Another instance where extrusion is required is in the depositing of pastry dough onto a cooking surface in a decorative manner prior to cooking. Extrusion devices are generally required to apply high extrusion forces since the paste to be extruded is usually quite thick and stiff.
Dispensing guns for such extrusion applications are well known in the art and usually they comprise a gun which supports a cartridge for holding the foodstuff, the gun being provided with a lever actuated plunger that is adapted to engage and to move the cartridge piston toward the discharge end of the dispenser cartridge. In this way the axial movement of the piston exerts pressure on the paste formulation contained in the dispenser cartridge and displaces the paste through the discharge spout.
Many people, such as the elderly and those who have sustained injury to the mouth, cannot eat normal foods that need to be aggressively chewed. In such situations, it is desirable to puree, or grind, the food to a soft, paste-like consistency. Food prepared in such a manner meets the physical and nutritional requirements of the patient, however it may lack in aesthetic qualities. In fact, it may have such a low aesthetic appeal that the patient either will not or cannot eat it. Because the consistency of the pureed food is similar to that of uncooked pastry dough, prior art dispenser guns may be employed to serve such pureed food in attractive designs in order to enhance its palatability.
However, such food is generally served in a nursing home environment, where extremely strict health standards are maintained regarding food preparation and serving. Such regulations are necessarily strict because of the frailty of the health of a majority of nursing home residents. Because of this, the use of prior art trigger operated dispensing guns is not feasible. This is because all such trigger operated guns (which are the type which generate enough extrusion force to easily extrude the pureed food) include portions of their drive mechanisms exposed to the environment of use, such as notched rods and pivoting levers. These exposed drive mechanisms tend to trap food particles during use of the dispenser guns and are extremely hard to keep clean. Such prior art devices are therefore not usable in the extremely sanitary environment required for care of elderly or critically ill patients.
There is therefore a need in the prior art for a device capable of extruding pureed food and having all non-smooth portions of the drive mechanism located within the dispenser housing so that the dispenser gun may be kept clean and free of food debris at all times. The present invention is directed toward meeting these needs.